E-Paper
Seeking preservation of Tibetan Buddhist culture, not independence: Dalai Lama
The Tibetan spiritual leader is on a two-day visit to Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, and is expected to visit the famous Thiksey monastery in Leh on Friday
Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Thursday said that it was not the Chinese people but some hardliners who considered him a separatist, but they are now realising that he was not seeking independence from China.
“Not the Chinese people but some Chinese hardliners consider me a separatist and criticise me. But now, more and more Chinese are realising that the Dalai Lama is not seeking independence, but within China, a meaningful autonomy (to the region) to preserve Tibetan Buddhist culture,” he told reporters in Jammu.
The Tibetan leader said that it is now that the Chinese are realising that Buddhism is a very scientific religion.
“More and more Chinese are showing interest about Tibetan Buddhism. Some of the Chinese scholars have realised that Tibetan Buddhism is a treasure trove of knowledge and a very scientific religion,” he said.
The Dalai Lama, however, refused to comment on the Chinese aggression in Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control.
“My message wherever I go is that human beings are brothers and sisters, and there is no point in fighting. ‘My country, my religion’ is too narrow an ideology. Human beings should live together in total harmony,” he said.
The Tibetan spiritual leader is on a two-day visit to Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. He will be in Leh on Friday, where he is expected to visit the famous Thiksey monastery.
This is his first official tour outside his base in Dharamshala since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
The Tibetan spiritual leader’s trip is likely to irk China as Beijing had recently criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending birthday wishes to the Dalai Lama earlier this month. China said that India should stop using Tibet-related issues to interfere in China’s ‘internal affairs’.
The Union external affairs ministry slammed China’s criticism and said that it has been a consistent policy of the Indian government to treat the Dalai Lama as a state guest.
